Slow cooker olive pork stew

This is winter weekend cooking improv' at it's best. Try it and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 2 lbs country style pork ribs
- 3 carrots
- 2 russet potatoes
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup dried tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1 cup olives (I used a mixture of kalamata and green olives with lemon)
- 1/2 cup white wine (I used the rest of flat champagne I had from a dinner a couple weeks ago)
- 1 cup vegetable broth


RECIPE:
- peel and chop the shallot, garlic, potatoes and carrots

- put everything in the slow cooker

- cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 10 hours

Note 1: if it gets a bit too dry during cooking, you can add more wine, broth or water
Note 2: you can also cook this on the stovetop over very low heat until the pork is fork tender (about 4-5 hours)
- yes, it's that easy

- enjoy!

Parsnip, barley and mini-meatballs stew

The weather is getting crisp and it is soon time for hearty stews and soups.

Last week, I was inspired by a bag of parsnips in my fridge and a can of crushed tomatoes, staring at me from the back of my pantry. I knew I had ground meat in the freezer, so I made mini-meatballs (click here for a recipe) and whipped up an easy stew. Or soup? Stoup?

Here's how you can make it.



INGREDIENTS (4-6 people):
- a large handful of mini-meatballs (click here for a recipe)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 6 to 8 cups beef broth
- 1 cup of barley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 to 1 tsp smoked paprika, to taste
- 2 shallots, sliced finely
- 2 to 3 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1 lb bag of parsnips, peeled and diced finely



RECIPE:
- in a large, deep stockpot, melt the butter and saute the meatballs over medium-high heat until golden but not fully cooked and reserve on the side

- in the flavored butter, saute the shallots, celery and garlic over medium heat until soft

- add the crushed tomatoes and beef broth and bring to a simmer, the add the diced parsnips and cook until soft (20-25 minutes)

- about 15 minutes in, add the barley to the simmering liquid and cook for another 10 minutes, or following your barley's cooking instructions

- a few minutes before you are ready to eat, add the precooked meatballs and heat up until completely cooked through

- enjoy!

Sage, sour cream and cremini mushrooms country-style pork ribs (Slow cooker recipe)

I was doubly excited yesterday to try this new recipe.

First, I was recently gifted a slow cooker by my friend F. who wasn't using it at all, and I was just dying to use it for a comforting stew.
Second, my other friend R. (who is friends with F. coincidentally) had been raving about the French dish "Porc au lait et a la sauge" (pork with milk and sage) for weeks, and since we are indeed in the midst of Autumn, crisper weather, leaves yellowing and all, I figured it would be the absolute perfect time to do this!

The original dish calls for a roast and whole milk, but I adapted to what I had available: country-style ribs and sour cream. I'd seen Chef John at Foodwishes use a mixture of creme fraiche and chicken broth for his version of the similar Italian dish "Maiale al latte", so I figured I could do the same. I also mixed in cremini mushrooms for an added veggie-dimension.

It was a first, like I said, and I will admit that although it was very good, I felt like something was missing. And after a few minutes analyzing my dish, I figured it out: BACON! I missed bacon. Not really surprising, since the original version also contains lardons (diced cured pork belly).

So here it is guys, my recipe for slow-cooked pork ribs, with sage and cream. I will be adding notes in italics with suggestions that I think will improve the final result.


Please excuse the horrid photography, but I started to cook at 8AM with little to no natural day light...

INGREDIENTS:
- 4 lbs bone-in country-style pork ribs
- one 8oz basket of cremini mushrooms
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 large onion, sliced thick
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup chopped sage (I used flash frozen fresh sage, but would highly recommend using fresh for this dish - mine was a bit old and the flavor was a bit lost in the final dish).
- salt and pepper
- a splash of olive oil
- optional: 4 strips of bacon (thick cut, diced)


RECIPE:
- season the pork really well with salt and pepper to taste and brown in a skillet, with a splash of olive oil. You really want to sear the meat so that it develops a lot of flavor and a golden crust

- place the meat on a bed of sliced onions in your slow cooker, add the garlic cloves and chopped sage

Note: if you decide to go the bacon route, now would be the time to sprinkle the diced bacon on top of the meat
- pour the chicken stock over the meat and start the slow cooker, set on HIGH for 5:30 hours

- when you have about 1:30 hours to go, open the lid of the slow cooker and add the cream and quartered mushrooms

Note 1: you can spoon out some of the rendered fat at this moment, before adding the cream and mushrooms.
Note 2: I noticed at the end of the cooking that the sauce was more watery than I would have liked and I think that precooking the mushrooms in a little butter or olive oil and browning them would be better than adding them raw. That way, they would not release that much moisture in the final dish
- at the end of the cooking time, the meat should slide right off the bone and be the most tender you've ever had. Serve with a spoonful of sauce over a bed of creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, egg pasta or rice (I had polenta, and I think it really was a good choice of starch)

Note: if the sauce is too liquid still, you can transfer it into a pot and thicken it over high heat, using a splash of cornstarch diluted in a little water and stirring until you reach the consistency you want

- Enjoy!

Rillettes de porc maigres (French charcuterie: pork rillettes pate)

Pork, salt, pepper, a splash of water and a little time on your hands. Yup, that's all you need to make this traditional French charcuterie dish: Rillettes. 

If you don't know what Rillettes is, it is pretty much a pate made out of confit pulled pork. How amazing does that sound?? 

And let me tell you, as a French national, I can vouch for this recipe: it tastes exactly like the stuff you pay big money for at the supermarket or your butcher's :)

Here goes!

INGREDIENTS (this batch gave me two tureen-fulls and a little extra I put in a 1/4pint mason jar):

- about 1.5 lbs pork belly (remove rind, but keep as much fat as you can)

- about 1.5 lbs pork shoulder

- 0.5oz salt (15g)

- pepper, a sprig of fresh thyme

- water

RECIPE:

- Trim and dice the fat of the pork belly, and dice the shoulder and belly meats into large 1 1/2" cubes

Note: Since this recipe does not use extra lard, it is important to use at least one piece of meat that does contain a fair amount of fat. That's why pork belly is a piece of choice when making Rillettes.

- Heat a large deep pot and render the diced belly fat on medium-low heat (you don't want to uber-crisp it, just render enough fat to brown the diced meat later)

- Once the fat is rendered, add the shoulder and belly and brown on all sides. Add the sprig of thyme, and cook on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes or until the juices start releasing from the meat

- Add a little water so that the meat is just covered, add the salt and some pepper to taste

- Cover with a lid, lower the heat to very low, and let simmer for at least three hours or until the meat falls apart

Note: make sure to stir often so that the meat does not stick to the bottom

- when the meat is ready, it will fall apart. The juices will be reduced and the flavors out-of-this-world concentrated. Transfer the cooked meat and juices into a bowl, remove the thyme sprig and let cool for a few minutes

- with two forks, separate the meat (just like you would pulled pork)

- transfer the meat into a Terrine, and press down so the liquid almost covers the meat

- refrigerate for at least 4 hours before eating and serve on a piece of crunchy rustic bread, with cornichons and a glass of red wine.

- Take that first blissful bite and you'll realize that with very little effort you've managed to land in Heaven otherwise known as French Apero!